Grace Through Faith

“8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Eph 2:8-9 AV)

Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  But faith for that grace goes all the way back to Genesis.  We receive that grace through faith.  Hebrews chapter 11 gives us the legacy of that faith and hope, that was keep alive by the Word of God. This chapter is the record of men that through faith lived with hope in the promise of God for a savior.  They were able to endure all things because of their confidence in the promises of God and the hope that was set before them.  That Grace and truth that came through Jesus was extended to them also as it is to us.

The exhortation to us then is that we look to Jesus as the author and finisher of our faith.  Those mentioned in Hebrews 11 trusted in the hope of the promise to come.  We then are to do likewise and put our faith in the promise that has come.  We can then have confidence that the grace of God through Jesus Christ is able to save us.  Grace for salvation can only be acquired through faith.  Without faith it is impossible to please God.

“Therefore [it is] of faith, that [it might be] by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,” (Ro 4:16 AV)

“By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Ro 5:2 AV)

God in His mercy has by grace provided salvation from sin and the eternal consequences of that sin.  But it is only by faith that we can be recipients of this grace.  Faith is our trust and confidence in God and His provision of grace that comes through Jesus.  Faith is more than just belief.  Saving faith (trust) requires belief, obedience, and faithfulness.  Faith for salvation is a commitment, placing ourselves fully under the Lordship of Jesus Christ our Savior.  There is no other way into this grace, it is accessed by faith.

There is no greater example of faith than that which we see in Abraham.  It is said that he believed God, or put his trust in God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.  He is to this day considered to be the father of the faithful.  Abraham’s faith was seen in his obedience to God, as is ours.  Through faith he was recipient of the grace of God.  I want to emphasize that Abraham’s belief and faith in God was not just mental accent, but was verified by his obedience to the Word of the Lord.

It was the test of Abraham’s faith that reveled that he did indeed have faith in God.  It was in the hills of Moriah, in the place that God had chosen, that we see the depth of Abraham’s faith in God.  God told Abraham to sacrifice his son that he loved as a burnt offering to the Lord.  Abraham’s obedience reveled his faith, but it also reveled God’s provision of grace.  Not only did God provide for Abraham’s sacrifice, but also we are given an example of the provision of grace that would be to all men.  Jesus became that provision for our sacrifice.  He became God’s grace toward us for salvation.

Jesus declared to us that, “Whosoever believe on me will not perish, but have everlasting life.  Belief in Jesus will be accounted to us for righteousness unto life.  This sounds simple, and it is.  But we need to remember that belief in God and his provision for eternal life through Jesus Christ is not just an expression in words or mental accent to its truthfulness.  The truthfulness of Abraham’s faith was reveled through the test.  God, who looks on the heart, knows the truthfulness of our confession of faith.  We will know the truthfulness of our confession of faith as life tests us.  God through His grace not only provided a sacrifice for sin, but also through grace makes provision for us to pass the test.  That provision is realized as we simple step out in faith and follow Him.